Saturday, June 30, 2012

Update Your Free Desktop Pantyhose Calendar Photos

Tomorrow will be time to update your desktop wallpaper.

A while ago, I suggested downloading hosiery-calendar photos and using them for desktop wallpaper.

Thank you for reading!

Friday, June 29, 2012

Either Sheers Or Opaques For Summer 2012?

Summer is here, and I am considering whether or not I would like to wear sheers. I have not done this for quite some time, because I was trying to find something clearly visible, that would blend in to today's styles. Unfortunately, doing that means many misconceptions, and could easily have no effect. After all, if people do not think of me as a man wearing hosiery, then what happens?

Therefore, I will try to wear more sheers for summer 2012.

Thank you for reading!

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Your Ads And Google's Ads At Hosiery Advocate's Boutique

I hate putting up ads, but I am in a tight situation, financially speaking. I placed Google ads on the 2 columns and the footer. I want to place more, but each page is pretty small, and any extra would only interfere with the usability of the site. I might find a page to place a whole bunch of them, but for the most part, it would be unnecessary.

I would love to place your banner ads there, or even at this blog. If I have interviewed you, or if you have done me a favour, then please contact me for free advertising for a while.

The column ads are 160x600. The footer ads are 728x90. In each of them, I am allowed to request a specific image or ad to place in an ad slot, if Google cannot provide an ad. So, if there is no Google ad, then your ad could be there. You can store the banner at your site, and then provide me with the link, which I will give to Google, so that there is no need to send images to me. You can update them on your server. Here is a page that explains what I am saying.

Thank you for reading!

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Front Panel On Slim Women's Hosiery??

I was surfing around American Apparel's site for photos, and it seems that American Apparel is offering hosiery with a front panel for slim women. I found that to be odd, because I assumed that any panels are either for pregnant women or overweight women. Also, men's hosiery often comes with a special front panel. If you look at their product page, it seems that she might have them on backwards. The main photos do not show a front panel. How mysterious.

How does it benefit slim women? Does a front panel feel more comfortable to you?

Thank you for reading!

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Hosiery In Wikimedia: General Ballet

I like the first 2 photos a lot, because they seem to be portraying the joy of ballet, with big smiles.

  • Ballet on the Prom, St Annes-on-Sea ... How to do it^ - geograph.org.uk - 1414919
  • Ballet barre
  • Ballet Teresa CarreƱo
  • Ballet-dancer 01
  • Nutcracker ballet willamette ballet 2007
  • Sleeping Beauty Royal Ballet 2008
  • Grace in winter, contemporary ballet
  • SwanLake by The Minnesota Ballet
  • Roberto Bolle La Bayadere Royal Ballet
  • Willamette ballet nutcracker 2007
  • Ballet-Ballerina-1843
  • Ballet-Ballerina-1847
  • Ballet-Ballerina-1853

There are more Wikimedia hosiery photos. The link is also in the right column, under Popular Topics. For those of you just joining us, read the explanation of Hosiery In Wikimedia.

There are Is She Wearing hosiery photos. The link is also in the right column, under Popular Topics. For those of you just joining us, read the explanation of Is She Wearing Pantyhose?.

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Silks Hosiery News For Fall 2012

I have great news for Silks hosiery fans and sellers, who want more colour variety!

Currently, the largest Silks colour variety is available in Silks control top sheers [style #19003], but that style is missing navy blue, which is available in other styles.

In the fall of 2012, Silks control top sheers [style #19003] will come in navy blue, which means that that style will be offered in all the colours that Silks hosiery comes in.

This is extremely helpful to customers, because customers who have already tried Silks control top sheers in other colours will know what to expect in navy blue.

Navy blue is most useful for business formal, but it is also good for adding a small twist to your casual outfits.

Having all of the colours in 1 style is a great business move for Doris Hosiery Mills, because it strengthens the brand.

I recommend buying 1 pair of every colour of style #19003, so that you have more colour options for matching your outfit.

Do any of you enjoy wearing navy blue?

Thank you for reading!

Friday, June 22, 2012

Friday Fun Poll: More Hosiery Past Spring?

Did you see more hosiery? Did you see more on TV, the mannequins at the mall, the news, or in the movies? Read the remainder of my post for more info.

Remember, you can vote on behalf of somebody else. So, please do so. :^)

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Saw Older Woman Wear Hosiery And Shorts

During yesterday's outing, I rode in an elevator. I noticed that 1 of the strangers in the elevator wore skin colour hosiery ["nude", perhaps?]. It did not seem like a big deal, but for some reason, I grew curious about what else this older woman wore. It seems that she was wearing blue loose shorts that went down to her knees.

I thought that it was very cool, because the outfit suited her vintage style, yet the hosiery aspect of it seemed fresh and modern. I felt that she was updating herself with the times.

If I understand correctly, this is a sign that shorts and hosiery is making a deep impact on mainstream society, and has a good chance of staying for the long term.

Keep pushing the trend, because only you can prevent bare legs!

Thank you for reading!

Wore Hosiery During Outing With Parents

Yesterday, I wore grey opaque full length hosiery, during an outing with my parents. We had to attend to something, and then went to dim sum. Overall, the outing went well. I wanted to ask my parents if they would mind me wearing, but I decided to not do it, since they kind of owed it to me, and since they had plenty of time adjusting to it.

I found that everybody acted normal. We had various unrelated conversations, that seemed unrelated to my clothes. They did not seem nervous, or anything.

We had to see somebody during the outing, and the person asked if I biked there, which was kind of funny. The person was just making small talk and being friendly. Because of the importance of the visit, I just explained that I was just trying to start a fashion trend. The person seemed to understand.

Progress!

Thank you for reading!

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Wore First Pair Of New Shorts Yesterday

I was pleased to try out the new shorts yesterday. I went out twice, so I wore them twice. They seem to match a casual outfit so much better than my favourite black shorts.

The first time that I went out, I wore grey opaques, that had a very mild even shimmer.

The second time that I went out, I wore my usual black opaque footless hosiery with socks. My feet were hurting, because of the dress shoes from the first outing, so I decided to not push it, and so I wore my white running shoes.

In both cases, I wore black bike shorts length hosiery to protect the hosiery from my regular shorts.

Again, I was really happy with the sewing, because of how even the threading was. With my ugly grey grubby shorts, I had very visible threading of a mismatched colour, which made the shorts a little less pleasurable to wear. Therefore, this pair of shorts is a real delight to wear.

My only complaint is that the pockets are so high up, and so shallow.

I declare that they are a smashing success!

Thank you for reading!

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Bowing Out Soon?

After listening to the radio interview, I sense that I can bow out in the near future. I think that the guys doing the most moving have moved the trend to a point, where it will have some permanence. We will see.

Thank you for reading!

Monday, June 18, 2012

Saw Man Wearing Compression Knee Highs

The reason that I think that they were compression hosiery is because of the pasty skin colour. The guy was probably about in his 50s or 60s, and his clothing style reflected it.

What I liked about his look was that he wore another pair of white socks over it. The white socks almost appeared to be mid-calf cotton socks that were scrunched down. They helped to take attention away from the feet. Even when people notice the compression hosiery, perhaps they will understand that it is not a matter of style. On the other hand, they might understand that it is a different style, because the white socks tend to imply that he knows what he is doing.

This all is very interesting, because it flies the face of what we have been trying to do. He has exposed less hosiery, and shown that he is masculine, whereas we have been trying to show more hosiery to show that we are masculine. It goes to show that some circumstances less is more.

What do you think about it? Does it make sense? Have you seen somebody like that? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Thank you for reading!

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Hosiery In Wikimedia: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders

Dallas-001216-N-1110A-513

Here is more of what the cheerleading world has to offer. It was actually hard for me to see if they really were wearing any hosiery. See if you can figure out how I found out.

There are more Wikimedia hosiery photos. The link is also in the right column, under Popular Topics. For those of you just joining us, read the explanation of Hosiery In Wikimedia.

There are Is She Wearing hosiery photos. The link is also in the right column, under Popular Topics. For those of you just joining us, read the explanation of Is She Wearing Pantyhose?.

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Finally Hemmed Pants Into Shorts

My dad asked me to widen the waist of his dress pants, last night. I did it this morning. Do you remember me buying pants from the army surplus store to make shorts? Do you remember me ironing them into shorts? Since doing the favour for my dad involved using the sewing machine, I went ahead and made at least 1 pair of shorts.

This should be longer in the leg than my favourite black shorts, and it should be looser in the leg as well. The pants have some small markings, but it is good enough to be a grubby pair of shorts. In fact, it will much better than the last grubby pair of shorts that I had. The last pair was so grubby, that it turned grey. This is definitely black.

Some time ago, I decided to examine the professionally made shorts, to see how they were cut and hemmed at the bottom of the leg portion. It seems that they are measured with the front pressed against the back, and then cut with a straight line across the front and back. I suppose that dress pants are done differently.

I must have thought about the pants for about 30 - 60 minutes, while watching a movie also. I was not satisfied with how it might turn out. I wanted the inside of the hem to be able to fold in nicely, and reach across the inside completely. It is hard for me to explain, because I do not know the terminology. The legs are tapered, so the inside of the hem would be narrower, which means that the fabric will not reach both sides, as is. I figured out that I could undo the side seam, and allow the fabric to be unfolded a little that way. I hope that I make sense. The point is that I made it hem very nicely.

I am much more satisfied with the hemming of this pair of shorts than the first pairs of shorts that I made. This has a straight seam, and a straight thread line. It was done relatively quickly, once I figured out what I wanted, and it seems to be much more in style than my favourite black shorts.

I am looking forward to not having to wear my favourite black shorts. I want to keep them in good condition for special occasions.

Tomorrow, or Monday, I will try to finish off my other 4 pairs: 2 casual and 2 dressy.

Thank you for reading!

Friday, June 15, 2012

Hosiery Consumer Alerts At Hosiery Advocate's Boutique

I believe that it is my duty to let you know when something is wrong with the products that are being manufactured. I am a consumer first, and a seller second.

Therefore, I have set up a part of my boutique, where I can list all the products that should have warnings. I have started with only 1 item, but I will add more as we go along.

I encourage all of my competitors to see how I did it, and to do likewise.

Do any of you have any suggestions? What could I do to improve it? Do you appreciate knowing about the problems? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!

Thank you for reading!

Friday Fun Poll: More Hosiery Coming Summer?

Remember to not base your guesses only what you saw this spring. Try to think about the weather that might be coming up, or maybe the attitudes about hosiery.

Remember that you can vote more than once, so that means you can vote on behalf of somebody else. Please vote once on behalf of each person.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Bellamagia Hosiery Is A New Brand

I am pleased to welcome a new New Zealand hosiery brand to the web: Bellamagia. They even got featured in a news article. Some of their products are on display in the background of the article's photo.

I might try to contact them to see if they are interested in an interview.

If you met these people or tried their products, then let us know in the comments below what everything was like! Do not keep us in suspense any longer!!

Thank you for reading!

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Went To Argentinian Tango Dance Last Night

I was very happy see that many women had worn hosiery. I went to the Polish Community Centre, last night. There was a regular dance on the main floor, and a dance class on the second.

I think that I might go on a regular basis, to feast my eyes, and to spend time with the women. My only concern is that they might not be interested in dancing with strangers.

I also would love to dance while wearing hosiery and shorts, and I have no idea how many women would go for it.

A lot of people have a To Do list of things that they want to do before they die. I plan on doing the Argentian Tango with at least 1 slim beautiful woman who is wearing hosiery. I also plan on wearing my favourite shorts [or a pair that is as nice], and a pair of semi-opaques or sheers. The hosiery would have to be very visible even from a distance. I want to enjoy the dance, and to make a statement!

Thank you for reading!

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Recommend Hosiery With ThisNext

A while ago, I went ThisNext.com, and did a search for hosiery. Not surprisingly, I found a few items that seemed interesting. It seems to be an easy opportunity to get your products listed. I will start listing my own products there. Even if you do not sell something, it is easy to recommend your favourite products. Maybe you can use it as a place to store a list of your favourite hosiery.

Thanks for reading!

Monday, June 11, 2012

Letter Of Complaint To Wolford Regarding Work

A few days ago, I wrote about Wolford rejecting me for employment. In that blog post, I mentioned that I wrote a letter to Wolford. Read the remainder of the blog post to read the letter for yourself.

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Hosiery In Wikimedia: Waitress

Some people say that they hate wearing uniforms, but it is not all bad, is it?

Drambuie VIP Party Waitress at The Roosevelt

There are more Wikimedia hosiery photos. The link is also in the right column, under Popular Topics. For those of you just joining us, read the explanation of Hosiery In Wikimedia.

There are Is She Wearing hosiery photos. The link is also in the right column, under Popular Topics. For those of you just joining us, read the explanation of Is She Wearing Pantyhose?.

Friday, June 8, 2012

Fogal Vs. Wolford

After my visit to Fogal, I decided to drop by Wolford for a comparison, especially since it had been so long since I visited Wolford. I thought that a quick visit would be a nice treat.

After the warm welcome, and the enjoyable conversation with the Fogal assistant manager, I felt that Wolford was cold by comparison. Perhaps they have a different business model that allows for this kind of behaviour. Do not get me wrong. They were not rude. They were polite.

I think that the Wolford assistant manager said hello first. 1 of the first things that I remember mentioning to her was that I bought a pair of waist socks from them. I thought that it was kind of neat to mention, because I felt nostalgic. I do not think she even looked up from her work, and she just said, "Oh, did you?". The entire time, she seemed disinterested in me, other than when she noticed me carrying a Fogal catalog and brochure. She said something like, "Oh, I see you like collecting catalogs.", and then reached into a cabinet, and brought a bunch of stuff out.

Honestly, though, it is hard to judge. Maybe she recognized me, and realized that I did not need much assistance. Also, they might have a non-pushy policy that encourages staff to not talk too much to customers. Staying with customers and not approaching customers have advantages and disadvantages. It is a matter of trade offs.

Since Fogal asked me if I would like to work with Fogal, I wondered if Wolford had realized the importance of changing with the times. I asked them, if they would be interested in hiring guys, and she said, "No.". She did not even think about it, which was consistent with what the manager said many years ago.

Wolford will sell us stuff, and send us catalogs and brochures, but Fogal does that also. The difference between them, is that Fogal is willing to accept us, even on first impression, and even willing to hire guys. In fact, I phoned Fogal's Vancouver store just before finishing the previous sentence. I spoke with the manager, and she confirmed that guys can work at Fogal. She seemed a little confused about me asking about it, so I had to explain Wolford's policies to her. She did not believe me, even when I told of my 2 experiences. She also tried to explain it from Wolford's perspective: maybe female customers complained. After the previous sentence, I decided to send a letter to Wolford. I will share it with you, tomorrow.

I just did not feel excited to be at Wolford. When I first went to Wolford, it was more exciting than my memories of Disney Land. Now, it is like blah. I think that it mostly because of the contrast to Fogal, and partly because the times have changed. We have been wearing publically for almost 2 decades, and there are many styles for men, and I have even worn hosiery and shorts to apply for jobs, and I have even worked in a hosiery department.

The web sites are worth comparing, also. Wolford's main page seem to not be working. I am not sure. It is not pleasant to visit, when the main page is mostly blank, and/or seems to not work. Fogal's web site seems to work fairly well.

Another thing worth noting is that Fogal has been around longer than Wolford. This implies that Fogal should have more experience.

What have your experiences been like? Please share them in the comments below. Also, please subscribe to keep up to date with the Wolford employment issue. Thank you for reading!

Thursday, June 7, 2012

My Visit To Fogal

I visited Fogal on Tuesday. I great euphoric experience. For another review, see what Fantasy Stockings has to say about Fogal's Vancouver store.

1 thing that I loved is the warm welcome that I received, when I walked in the door. I did not expect much attention from them, because I am used to thinking of them as upper class people from Europe. There was nobody else in the store, so she spent time telling me about the interesting things.

Another thing that I loved was store decorations. She told me about how all the decorations came from Italy. There were panels that were covered in leather. They wanted to ensure that we got the full Fogal experience. At first, I felt that that was weird. It seemed to be so much trouble, but it eventually made sense to me.

Another thing that I loved was her telling me about the sale today, which seemed kind of weird, because companies do not always like to give out sale information too early. She said that 2 days early was not a big deal.

Another thing that I loved was her offering a brochure and catalog, which is not a big deal, but I do consider it to be a good gesture, since I am not the type of person who buys a lot. Those things cost a lot of money.

Another thing that I loved was the sample hosiery display. It was such a sight to behold. It is not just pieces of fabric. Each sample is an entire pair of hosiery. The fact that they offered so much hosiery for people to examine closely shows how passionate they are about the hosiery. All the hosiery felt so wonderful to the touch. Another thing so wonderful is the variety of colours that they have.

Another thing that I loved was the attitude of the assistant manager towards me. I kind of expected her to just be polite towards guys, since they are potential customers, but she went so far as to ask me if I wanted to work for them. I was shocked. I assumed that she was not offering a job, and I confirmed it, but it was cool in that we talked about what I could do to apply, and what kinds of things I would need to do as an employee.

Just so that you know, I asked her if she has ever seen a guy wear hosiery and shorts before, but she has not. I was not sure if she even noticed my hosiery clad legs. When I asked her about noticing me, she said that she noticed, but she assumed that I was wearing leggings. I said that I was wearing footless hosiery, and she said, Yes, leggings.. I did not argue the point. I understood where she was coming from. The point, though, is that even though she only saw a guy wearing hosiery for the first time, she accepted me so well, that she happily helped me to apply for work, even though there was not a lot of business. How often are women so accepting of men wearing hosiery? I want to touch on that again, another day.

I think that Wolford employees and executives need to shop at Fogal, so that they can learn from Fogal's strengths and weaknesses. I ended up visiting Wolford, after I left, and I noticed a stark contrast in how the 2 companies treat me. I will write about that, for tomorrow or soon.

In the mean time, I suggest that you go down there and say hello. I really want all new hosiery stores to feel welcome in Greater Vancouver, and Canada. There is a Fogal store in Toronto, that you might like to check out.

Be sure to mention that Hosiery Advocate sent you. Thank you for reading!

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Fogal Sale On Thu. June 7, 2012

The beautiful assistant manager has informed me that there will be a sale tomorrow. I never bothered to ask what the sale discounts will be, but maybe that will be incentive for you to visit. :^)

I gave directions to Fogal's Vancouver store on Alberni St.

Thank you for reading!

How To Find Fogal Store On Alberni St In Vancouver

Fogal is on the same block as Wolford, and Wolford is right next to the corner store. Fogal is on Alberni St., and Wolford is on Burrard St.

Pretend that you just came out of Wolford. Go left, then turn left at Alberni St., while staying on the same sidewalk. After you turn, pass the first store on your left, and Fogal should be the next store. The name is in very small lettering; written twice, on the awning and over the door. You might pass the store, if you do not look carefully. There should be hosiery in the window.

Let me know if you cannot find it!

Fogal's web site says that you can buy Fogal at a couple of downtown locations. These 2 locations are different from the Fogal store itself.

Thank you for reading!

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Saw Boy Wearing Compression Knee High

I could be wrong, but it appeared to be a compression knee high. At first, when I saw it, I made my assumptions of it being worn for medical reasons and did not think much of it.

After I reflected on it, I realized that it never came across as uncool or gay or effeminate. I think that I came to the conclusion, because of the person and the context.

First of all, the boy was playing street hockey, therefore, any legwear that is not frilly or feminine in colour would come across as sportswear.

Second of all, the colour of the knee high was a pasty opaque skin colour, so you can kind of guess that it was not what gay boys and men typically wear.

Third of all, he only wore hosiery on 1 leg. Many athletes wear some kind of support or knee brace on 1 leg. Gay and effeminate men do not typically wear hosiery on 1 leg to look attractive.

Fourth of all, this kid did not look particularly fashionable. He did not look unfashionable, either. The whole point is that he looked average, which is very untypical of the gay and effeminate stereo type.

I am just amazed that we could learn something from an average looking kid.

Thank you for reading!

Is She Wearing Pantyhose? #62

Gal #62 is truly unique. I find her legs to be so appealing.

I actually find her to be kind of funny. I also find her a bit offensive, because she is giving the body of her old age to her future husband, instead of giving him the body of her youth.

What do you think?

There are more Is She Wearing photos. The link is also in the right column, under Popular Topics. For those of you just joining us, read the explanation of Is She Wearing Pantyhose?.

There are Wikimedia hosiery photos. The link is also in the right column, under Popular Topics. For those of you just joining us, read the explanation of Hosiery In Wikimedia.

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Genitalia And Breasts And Hosiery As Pants

I touched on genitalia [no pun intended!!] in the last couple of blog posts. While writing them, I thought about a discussion that I had with a masculism advocate. He basically said that if women could go topless, then men deserved to go bottomless. After all, their breasts stick out, so why could we not walk around with male genitals sticking out? That never sat right with me.

I think that we need to cover that topic to better understand why men are not able to wear hosiery as pants.

The thing is that breasts are not directly related to reproduction. They are not related to orgasms either. All genitals are related to reproduction and orgasms. Also, male and female genitals are used for urinating. There are probably other common functions.

If anything, males would need to hide their genitals. When male ballet dancers perform, and maybe even when they rehearse, they wear a dance belt. Dancers probably wear them more for comfort, but I am confident that modesty is an issue, since I have never seen a the shape of a male dancer's genitals be visible through the fabric.

Our reactions to both kinds of genitals are a sign that we place them in the same major category, while treating them differently: female dancers do not wear dance belts, in general, while male dancers do. In the end, both dancers have a clean curved shape, and both shapes are almost androgynous.

Contrast that with the breasts. Although women typically are required to wear something on top, they are often encouraged to flaunt the shapes of their breasts. The shapes of the breasts are a recognition of femininity, and not necessarily sexuality, whereas genitals are typically a recognition of sexuality. This is even seen the animal world, when a female animal exposes her genitals. In some cases genitals can be a sign of too much information. Camel toe, anybody?

This clearly shows why women can push a little further, by wearing hosiery as pants: they do not need to wear a dance belt, so hosiery as pants for women is not as immodest as it is for men. Men need to hide their genitals, and therefore, have a much longer journey to reach that goal.

That being said, I am not supportive of men doing that. Then again, I used to say that men should only wear hosiery under pants.

What do you think? Should men be able to wear hosiery without pants, kilts, and shorts?

Thank you for reading!

Update Your Desktop Calendar Photos

It is time to update your desktop wallpaper. A while ago, I suggested downloading hosiery-calendar photos and using them for desktop wallpaper. Well, go do it! :^)

Thank you for reading!

Friday, June 1, 2012

Differences Between Women And Men's Fashion

With women pushing the boundaries of clothing, by wearing hosiery as pants, I think that it would be good to explore why they can get away with more easily than men.

Rockette RCMH

Women like exposing skin and showing off their body shapes. I am sure that you can think of a few examples. Short skirts, perhaps? Tight shirts? Even dress shirts can be extremely form fitting. It was clearly understood in many European time periods that having an hour glass figure is a good thing. This has been shown to be true for other cultures too. When women wear athletic clothes, they often wear form fitting clothes, which are considered sexy to some degree, if not completely. The Rockettes are a perfect example of this. Their beauty is all over, but a significant amount is in the legs. The list goes on.

Women wear revealing clothing for various reasons. However, a significant factor is that when they ovulate, they tend to want to reveal more. This makes sense. When women want to attract men, then prefer to show off their bodies. Hosiery really is a celebration or advertisement of femininity and fertility. This is a hard rule that we must accept. All of a sudden, advertising does not seem so bad anymore, right?

Bret Canada t-shirt

What about men? Is there something that women like about guys who bare their flesh? Do women like it when men wear tight clothing? They definitely do. Playgirl magazine is not just for gays. I am confident that women like the pictures. Also, they like looking at guys with broad shoulders, and noticeable big muscles. So, guys wearing tight clothing is okay.

The big difference is that women can expose a lot of skin and wear form fitting clothing out in public as casual wear, whereas the tightest clothing that heterosexual masculine guys can wear casually in public is only a t-shirt, and maybe a pair of ordinary shorts.

Also, it might be helpful to compare ourselves to gay men. When it comes to guys to exposing a lot of skin, there is a difference between a gay guy who dresses like a scantily clad sailor or male dancer in a gay bar, and a guy who wears spandex in a strong man competition.

Ah, you are probably saying, but in Shakespeare's time most men wore tights! So, obviously it is not gay, and women find it attractive. Well, I do not know for sure what women thought in those days. You would need to show me a quote or some research. As for it not being gay, I would have to agree to some extent, but is it truly masculine for men to wear it?

In the 1600s, and the time periods before and after, we can see the flamboyant styles tended to be worn by those who could afford it: rich people. Could you imagine a peasant dressing like that? According to Wikipedia, the lower class wore different clothing [scroll down for info on the lower class] in the years before. Scroll to the bottom of Wikipedia's fashion pages to skim through the ages.

Do not be deceived: just because you can afford to buy shorts and hosiery, it does not mean that you are part of the upper class; just because you live much better than many of the nobles of the past, it does not mean that you are part of the upper class. Chances are that my readers are all middle to lower class. Our fashions and our masculinity is much more determined by functionality than wealth. We are more like the Munsters than the Addams.

In the past and present, men in our class have wanted something that lasts a long time. In other words, we want functional clothing. Hosiery worn as pants is not that. It has many benefits, and we should encourage people to wear it, but wearing it as pants will never be more functional than a comfortable pair of jeans, because denim lasts longer per dollar, it is easy to machine wash, and it has pockets. Even when it is worn and faded, people will understand that you do not need to replace it. Hosiery is often so delicate that it typically needs be replaced if you just look at it too hard. ;^P

So, how do we find a way of wearing hosiery more visibly, without raising suspicions? The secret seems to be in sports. Whether it be weight lifting competitions or triathlons, wearing skin tight clothing in women's events or men's events seems to work. In fact, cyclists wear spandex all the time--and they do not even try to hide it. I still insist that we turn our attention back to sports. It matches with what I have said, also. Skin tight clothing in sports is functional. That is why cycling clothing is probably the best bet that we have right now. It can be worn in the streets, and it can be worn casually, when worn with shorts. If our cycling outfits make us look sporty, then people will accept that. Therefore, men can wear spandex and nylon clothing.

To take it a step further, and wear skin tight clothing as pants, without shorts or a kilt, we would need to look extremely sporty, and actually be in sporty situation. After all, if you show up to every event, wearing only a thin piece of fabric over yourself, then people might not appreciate it. So, let us not get carried away. Let us stick to just wearing hosiery under a pair of shorts in a sporty way.

Then again, I showed you photos of me wearing hosiery in a non-sporty way. Yes, we can do that, and we should. However, I think that our casual outfits should be sporty looking, if we can afford it.

To summarize, hosiery does have some natural limits, which lends itself to feminine wardrobes more easily than masculine wardrobes. We will be more successful in our attempts at mainstreaming the outfit, if we keep the casual outfits sporty. If you are still not convinced that hosiery is a celebration of femininity, then I leave you with the last photo below [I was surprised to discover that I could see her gusset in the original size of the photo].

Thank you for reading!

HOOTERS